The present invention generally relates to magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatuses, and more particularly to a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus which is designed to hold a cassette which is inserted into the apparatus in a loaded position where a magnetic tape accommodated within the cassette makes contact with a magnetic head and to move a mechanism for driving the magnetic tape from a position opposing and separated from the cassette which is in the loaded position to a position where the mechanism engages the cassette by moving the mechanism linearly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion path of the cassette.
Recently, work processors, personal computers and the like are used in various applications. Magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatuses which are used in such systems may be roughly divided into two types, that is, a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus which uses the so-called hard disc or floppy disc as the recording medium and a data recorder which uses a magnetic tape as the recording medium. The magnetic tape is normally used in a state accommodated wtihin a cassette.
Generally, the data recorder is less expensive compared to the disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus. For this reason, the data recorder is suited for use as a back-up system for the hard disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus. In the conventional data recorder, the cassette which is inserted into the data recorder is held within a holder, and the holder is moved to a predetermined position within the data recorder together with the cassette so as to engage the cassette with a driving mechanism for driving the magnetic tape. However, in the conventional data recorder, a mechanism for detecting whether or not the cassette has been inserted with the correct side thereof facing a predetermined direction, a mechanism for moving the holder, a mechanism for ejecting the cassette outside the data recorder and the like have a complex construction. Hence, there is a problem in that the manufacturing cost of the conventional data recorder cannot be reduced to a large extent due to the complex construction of the mechanisms. In addition, the space which is required within the conventional data recorder so as to enable the holder to move within the data recorder is large. As a result, thee is a limit to the downsizing of the conventional data recorder.
On the other hand, a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which a driving mechanism for driving the magnetic tape is moved in an arcuate path so as to engage the cassette which is inserted into the apparatus, was previously proposed in a Japanese Pat. No. 44-26574. However, a large space is required within the apparatus in order to move the driving mechanism in the arcuate path within the apparatus, and there is a problem in that the construction of the apparatus becomes complex. Further, when the driving mechanism is moved in the arcuate path, reel driving shafts of the driving mechanism for engaging reel hubs of the cassette cannot engage smoothly with the reel hubs because the reel driving shafts approach and engage the respective reel hubs with a certain angle.